Automatic highway-crossing warning-signal for railroads.



321*? ORLANDO DARROW, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC HIGHVVAY-CROSSING WARNING-SIGNAL FOB RAILROADS.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

Application filed may 13, 1916. Serial No. 97,269. v

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, BEN ORLANDO DAR- now, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Auto matic Highway-Crossing NarningSignals for Railroads, of which the following is a specification.

My invention. relates to the class of automatic signal devices, and-more particularly to a combined visual and audible signal.

suitable for use at railroad and highway crossings or other similar positions.

The object of my invention is to provide a visual signal, in the form of a moving semaphore arm, which may be incorporated in a well known form of railroad crossing bell, so as to provide a combined audible and visual signal. By my invention, signal bells of this type may be easily transformed into combined signal devices at very small expense, thus avoiding the necessity of discarding the bell mechanism and providing an entire new device.

To this end my invention consists in the combined audible and visual signal device which I shall hereinafter fully describe with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a part-sectional front elevation of my signal device. Fig. 2 is a partsectional side elevation of the same.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1' designates a bell, supported by a suitable frame 2 upon a post or standard 3. The bell is rung by means of the usual automatic electric mechanism, comprising a solenoid magnet 4, a piston armature 5, and a rod 6 extending from said armature and having pivotal connection at 7 with one arm of a bell crank 8, the other arm of which carries a striker or clapper 9. A. circuit controlling switch, indicated at 10, is provided to alternately open and close the magnet circuit, said switch being operated by the movement of the armature 5.

In order to supply a visual signal in combination with this bell mechanism, 1

provide a transverse shaft 11, extending through opposite sides of the housing 12 and having bearings 13 therein. The projecting ends of this shaft 11 carry depending semaphore arms 14, which normally hang in a vertical position. These arms 14 should preferably be painted in such a manner as to make them conspicuous. The shaft 11 carries a crank arm 15, situated within the housing 12, and connected by a rod 16 to the pivot 7 at the upper end of the connesting rod 6, of the armature 5. Thus when the rod 6 is drawn downward, by the magnet 4, to cause the hammer 9 tostrike the bell, the shaft 11 is rotated through a part of a revolution, through the agency of the rod 16, and the arms 14 are thereby swung to the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, and as shown bythe dotted lines. The switch 10 thereupon opens the magnet circuit in the usual manner, and the mechanism returns toward its normal position by gravity. During this return movement, however, the arms 14 acquire sufficient momentum'to cause them to swing to the left past their vertical, or normal position, as shown by the dotted lines on the left of Fig. 1. They then again return toward the normal, whereupon. the switch 10 is again actuated to permit the energizing ofthe magnet 4, and the cycle of operations .isrepeated.

Balance weights 17, as shown in Fig. 2, are provided in the hubs of the arms 14, and are so positioned as to cause said arms to hang vertically when the entire mechanism is in a state of equilibrium. When the arms swing to their extreme left position, the crank arm 15 and the connecting rod 16 approach a straight line, so that at this portion of the cycle the bell mechanism has the least movement relative to the arms 14 to swing to their extreme left position with-- out carrying the bell mechanism much beyond its normal position.

Below the frame 2 is a hollow structure 18, having opposite apertures closed by windows or bulls-eye lenses 19, as in Fig. 2, said lenses being so positioned as to be hidden from. view by the arms 14 when the lat- .ter are in their normal position of rest. Within the member 18, and in line with the lenses 19, is a light 20, preferably though not essentially electric, in which latter case it is so connected electrically by any usual wiringunnecessary to show, with the bell mechanism as to be illuminated continuously during the operation of the signal. The movement of the arms 14 across the lenses 19 will, however, produce the efiect of an intermittent, or flashing light, and thus serve as an effective visual signal at night.

I claim 1. An automatic warning-signal comprising a supporting" frame; fixed bell carried by the upper portion of the frame; a clan per Within the hell; it bell-crank shank of the clapper pivotelly suspended at its angle within the bell; an electronmgnet below the bell, and having an armature; a rod Divotally connecting said armature with one of by the upper portion of the frame; a clapper Within the bell; a bell-crank shank of the clapper pivotally suspended at its angle within the bell; an electromegnet below the bell, and having an armature; a reel pivotelly connecting said armature with one of the arms of the hell-crank clapper-shank; a rock shaft below the bell, ancl having a crank; a rod conneciecl at one end with said crank and at the other end with the pivotal connection of the armature rod with the arm of the clapper shank; a pendentvsemephore Warning arm on each. end of the rockshaft, and a fixed light carried by the supporting frame and exposed to View from opposite sides thereof, said light lying between the semaphore Warning arms in position to be obscured by said arms when the latter are at rest and to be intermittently exposed by the pendulous movement of said arms.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BEN ORLANDO DARRUW. lVitnesses PAUL FREDERICKS BUNKER, WESLEY M. Rose.

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